Watertown teen seriously injured in car-pedestrian crash

Pedestrian struck by vehicle near Black River
Published: Feb. 23, 2023 at 11:59 AM EST
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BLACK RIVER, New York (WWNY) - A Watertown teenager was critically injured when she was struck by a vehicle outside Black River Wednesday night.

State police say 17-year-old India Willmert was wearing dark clothing and walking in the driving lane of State Route 342 near LeRay Street when she was struck around 9:45 p.m. by a Subaru Legacy driven by 32-year-old Ildar Salakhutdinov.

Salakhutdinov, also of Watertown, told troopers he was unable to avoid striking Willmert. She was thrown to the shoulder of the highway and suffered serious internal injuries.

She was transported to Samaritan Medical Center and then by helicopter to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, where she was listed in critical condition.

Salakhutdinov was not injured. Tests troopers conducted at the scene determined he was not impaired by drugs or alcohol.

The investigation is continuing.

This map shows where a vehicle struck a pedestrian outside Black River Wednesday night.
This map shows where a vehicle struck a pedestrian outside Black River Wednesday night.(WWNY)